Skeleton Found In Preserve

November 01, 1991

A partially burned human skull and an incomplete skeleton were found Thursday in a south suburban Cook County Forest Preserve, apparently the remains of a homicide victim that may have been placed in the area last spring, police said.

The discovery was made shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday by a motorist who stopped to stretch his legs along 134th Street about a half-mile east of Halsted Street in Whistler`s Woods in Riverdale, according to Forest Preserve Chief of Detectives Gerald Palacios.

The skull, detached from the other remains, appeared to have been burned, perhaps shortly after death, Palacios said. Police also found a small pile of clothes that had been burned, he said.

The skeleton, lying chest-side down, was missing its hands, which apparently had been removed to conceal the person`s identity, Palacios said. The dental areas on the skull were in good shape, however, which may aid investigators in making an identification, he said.

The remains appeared to be those of an adult male, but it was impossible to determine anything further, he said.

Palacios said the body probably had been in the area since spring and had been hidden from view during the summer by brush.

Investigators found few additional clues, he said.

An autopsy was to be performed Friday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner`s Office.